SushiSamba is officially on its way to the UAE. As one of the most popular high-end restaurants in cities from London and Miami to Las Vegas and Amsterdam, will get in on Dubai's busy high-end culinary scene when it opens next year. The emirate's branch is set to launch in The Palm Tower, 220 metres above the world-famous Palm Jumeirah.
Choosing the location came down entirely to the building's vista, SushiSamba's chief operating officer, Omar Gutierrez, tells The National. "The view is spectacular … I had been relying on renderings, but they didn't do it justice," he says. "I don't think you can get a better view of this city unless you parachute down."
The plan to bring SushiSamba to the Middle East is not new, but there was a matter of waiting for the right time and the right place before opening its doors. "As a company, we had been looking to do this project in Dubai for four or five years," Gutierrez says. "We came close to a couple of different areas and locations, but didn't tick all of the boxes with any of them."
The restaurant will be located on the 51st floor, with the infinity pool deck of the tower found on the floor below. The building, which is still under construction, will have a 289-room St Regis hotel, 432 luxury residences and a host of recreational facilities when it opens.
We're very confident on how it's going to perform," Gutierrez says. "We think it will compete with what we have been able to establish in London and really solidify our presence in this part of the world." SushiSamba has partnered with Sunset Hospitality Group for the Dubai launch.
"I think the reason why we are so bullish on this region is because we have realised that a significant part of our business in London comes from this part of the world," he says. "The reason why the brand resonates is because it is a multi-sensory experience; it's not only the cuisine, it's the ambience, art, music and energy."
He says that although the Dubai restaurant will have its own distinct style in terms of views, atmosphere and feel, it will be most comparable to the SushiSamba at London's 110 Bishopsgate (formerly known as Heron Tower).
Local touches on the menu
The Dubai outlet will offer SushiSamba's blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian "cuisine, culture, music and design", as well as views of the Dubai skyline from its tower-top vantage point. Seasoned SushiSamba diners will be happy to know the menu will feature 70 per cent of the eatery's favourites from its Las Vegas, London and Amsterdam branches. The chef, who has yet to be confirmed, will also have a little scope for regional creativity.
Can we expect to see regional influences on the menu? "If it tastes good!" Gutierrez says.
"Ultimately, we give the chefs plenty of flexibility to work on dishes and run specials … but if something is going to go on the menu permanently, we have a process, it goes through several tastings and takes in everybody's feedback.
When everyone agrees that the presentation is right and the flavour is right, and that it’s not off brand, then it goes on the menu.”
Regardless, Gutierrez tells us to expect to see local ingredients on the menu. "To keep the quality where it needs to be, we need to find a way to incorporate locally sourced produce and supplies," he says. "Dubai is a world-renowned culinary destination, so I don't think we'll have any problems getting quality ingredients."
Dubai's brunch bunch will also be happy to learn that a Friday or Saturday offering is firmly on the cards. "Friday and Saturday brunch is definitely on our agenda," he says. "When we designed the restaurant we were conscious of how we incorporate that brunch feel … we don't want it to feel like an afterthought."
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
